RHAMNE^E. VIII. RHAMNUS. 



usually smooth leaves, which are permanent and coriaceous, or 

 caducous, with feather nerves ; in those with the permanent 

 leaves the nerves are either vaguely branched, or in others ap- 

 proximating. Plants possessing strong purgative qualities. 



SECT. I. MARCORE'LLA. Neck. elem. 2. p. 122. Rhamnus 

 and Alaternus of Tourn. Flowers usually dioecious, and 4- 

 cleft. Seeds deeply furrowed with the raphe in the bottom of 

 the furrow. Embryo curved. Leaves usually permanent, vaguely 

 veined. 



1. Alaternus (from alternus, alternate; leaves). Tourn. 

 hist. t. 366. Flowers racemose, 5-cleft (f. 5. A. a. e.). Ever- 

 green shrubs. 



1 R. ALATE'RNUS (Lin. spec. 281.) leaves ovate-elliptical or 

 lanceolate, coriaceous, quite smooth, serrated ; flowers dioecious, 

 disposed in short racemes. Tj . H. Native of the south of 

 Europe and the north of Africa. Dull. ed. nov. 3. p. 42. t. 14. 

 Alaternus Phylica, Mill. diet. no. 1. fig. t. 16. f. 1. Flowers 

 green, without any corolla. 



Var. a, Balearicus (Hort. par.) leaves roundish ; stipulas awl- 

 shaped, and are, as well as the branchlets, somewhat spiny. Rh. 

 rotundifolius, Dum. Cours. 6. p. 260. 



Var. ft, Hispanicus (Hort. par.) leaves ovate, a little toothed. 



J'ar. y, vulgaris (D. C. prod. 2. p. 23.) leaves ovate, ser- 

 rated. 



I'ar. t, angvstifoKus (Mill. fig. t. 16. f. 2.) leaves almost 

 linear-lanceolate. ^ . H. Rh. Cliisii, Willd. enum. 1. p. 250. 

 Clust. hist. 1. p. 50. Lob. icon. 2. t. 134. 



There are several other varieties, as 1 . The Smooth Alaternus. 

 ','. The Entire-leaved Alaternus. 3. The Spotted-leaved Alater- 

 nus. 4. The Gold-striped-leaved Alaternus. 5. The Silver 

 striped-leaved Alaternus. 



The flowers of Alaternus are said not to be perfectly dioecious. 

 The fresh shoots and leaves will dye wool yellow. The honey 

 breathing blossoms, says Evelyn, afford an early and marvellous 

 relief to the bees, as they open in April. Clusius reports that 

 the fishermen in Portugal dye their nets red with a decoction of 

 the bark ; and that dyers there use small pieces of the wood to 

 strike a blackish-blue colour. The Alaternus was much more 

 in reqviest formerly than at present, having been planted against 

 walls in court-yards to cover them, as also to form evergreen 

 hedges in gardens, for which purpose it is very improper, for the 

 branches shoot too vigorously, and are easily broken, and dis- 

 placed by the wind. It is still, however, used in towns for 

 covering walls, but chiefly to make a variety in ornamental 

 plantations. 



Alaternus. Fl. April, June. Clt. 1629. Shrub 20 feet. 



2 R. HY'BRIDUS (Lher. sert. t. 5.) leaves oblong, acuminated, 

 serrated, smooth, shining, hardly permanent, rather coriaceous ; 

 flowers androgynous. fj . H. This plant has been raised in 

 the gardens from R. alaternus and R . alpinus. R. Burgundiacus, 

 Hort. par. R. sempervirens, Hortulan. Flowers green. 



Hybrid Alaternus. Fl. April, June. Clt. 1629. Shrub 12 ft. 



3 R. GLANDULOSUS (Ait. hort. kew. 1. p. 265.) leaves ovate, 

 bluntly-serrated, smooth beneath, in the axillae of the lower 

 veins glandular ; flowers hermaphrodite, racemose. Ij . G. Na- 

 tive of the Canary islands, in woods on the mountains. Vent, 

 malm. t. 34. Flowers green. 



Glandular-leaved Alaternus. Fl.Ju.Jul. Clt. 1785. Sh. 15 ft. 



4 R. iNTEGRirbLius (D. C. cat. hort. monsp. p. 136. exclu- 

 sive of the country,) leaves elliptical-oblong, mucronate, quite 

 entire ; flowers hermaphrodite, racemose. fj . G. Native of 

 Teneriffe, on the highest peak. R. coriaceus, Nees hort. phys. 

 p. 114. t. 22. Brouss. in Rcem. et Schult. syst. 5. p. 291. Young 

 leaves flat, adult ones boat-shaped. Flowers green, apetalous. 



Entire-leaved Alaternus. Clt. 1822. Shrub 2 feet 



5 R. INCA'NUS (Roxb. fl. ind. 2. p. 350.) leaves ovate-lan- 

 ceolate, entire, smooth above, hoary beneath ; corymbs on small 

 axillary branchlets ; flowers hermaphrodite ; style 3-cleft. P; . S. 

 Native of the Moluccas. Flowers very numerous, small, green- 

 ish-yellow. Calyx villous on the outside. 



Hoary Buck-thorn. Shrub 10 feet. 



2. Rhamnus (see genus for derivation). Flowers in fascicles, 

 5-cleft. 



6 R. LONGIFOLIUS (Link. enum. 1. p. 228. Dum. Cours. bot. 

 cult. 6. p. 260.) leaves oval-oblong, acute at both ends, serrated, 

 smooth, shining, pilose in the axillae of the veins beneath. Tj . H. 

 Native of? R. Willdenovianus, Rcem. et Schult. syst. 5. p. 

 295. Flowers green. 



Long-leaved Buck-thorn. Fl. ? Clt. 1822. Shrub 8 feet. 



7 R. I'RiNoiDES (Lher. sert. 6. t. 9.) leaves ovate-lanceolate, 

 acuminated, serrated, shining ; flowers on pedicels, axillary, 

 usually twin, polygamous. Tj . G. Native of the Cape of Good 

 Hope. Zizyphus lucidus, Mcench. suppl. 101. Drupe black. 

 Stigmas 3. Flowers green or white. 



Prinos-liJte Buck-thorn. Fl. Aug. Sept. Clt. 1778. Sh. 10 ft. 



8 R. CELTiDiFbLius (Thunb. fl. cap. 2. p. 72.) leaves ovate, 

 serrated, smooth ; flowers on pedicels, axillary, solitary, apeta- 

 lous. f? . G. Native of the Cape of Good Hope. Burm. afr. 

 t. 88. Flowers green. 



Cellis-leaved Buck-thorn. Fl. April, June. Clt. ? Shrub. 



3 Flowers 4^-cleft (f. 5. B. a. e.), in fascicles. 

 * Branchlets terminating in a thorn. 



9 R. CATHA'RTICUS (Lin. spec. 280.) erect ; leaves ovate, 

 toothed ; flowers in fascicles, polygamo- dioecious, berries 4- 

 seeded, rather globose. Tj . H. Native of Europe, in hedges 

 and groves; plentiful in England. Smii!:, engl. bot. t. 1629. 

 Woodv. med. bot. t. 114. Oed. fl. dan. t. 850. Duh. ed. nov. 

 3. t. 10. This is the white-thorn of the modern Greeks. It 

 is a rigid bush ; its branches terminating in strong thorns. 

 There is a variety of it with 5-cleft flowers, and unarmed 

 branches. The flowers yellov, ish-green, with very narrow petals, 

 and a deep 4-cleft style. Berries globular, blueish-black when 

 ripe, size of a pea. The juice of the unripe berries has the 

 colour of saffron, and is used for staining maps or paper ; these 

 are sold under the name of French berries. The juice of the 

 ripe berries mixed with alum is the sap-green of the painters ; 

 but if the berries be gathered late in the autumn the juice is 

 purple. The bark affords a beautiful yellow dye. The inner 

 bark or liber, as well as the berries, like that of elder, is said to 

 be a strong cathartic, and to excite vomiting. The berries are 

 nauseous, and violently purgative, occasioning thirst and dry- 

 ness in the mouth and throat, accompanied usually with severe 

 griping of the bowels, unless some diluting liquor be taken 

 plentifully with them. The juice made into a syrup is the offi- 

 cinal preparation called Buck-thorn. About an ounce of this 

 is a moderate dose, and it was formerly employed as a hydro- 

 gogue ; but it is now falling into disuse, and is rarely prescribed 

 except in conjunction with other medicines of this class. It is 

 said even that the flesh of birds which feed upon these berries is 

 purgative. 



Var. /3, Hydriensis (Jacq. earn. 2. t. 2.) larger leaves taper- 

 ing to the base. f? . H. Native about Hydria. 



Purging Buck- thorn. Fl. May. Britain. Shrub 12 feet. 



10 R. VIRGA'TUS (Roxb. fl. ind. 2. p. 351.) erect; branchlets 

 terminating in a spine ; leaves nearly opposite, oblong, ventri- 

 cose, serrated ; flowers around the base of the young shoots, 

 and axillary, tern ; stigmas 2-3-cleft. J; . H. Native of Nipaul, 

 and the Nelligery mountains. R. catharticus, Hamilt. mss. 



